


Fresh Start

by shiptoomuch



Category: Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Break Up, First Love, M/M, Make Up
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-20
Updated: 2015-09-20
Packaged: 2018-04-22 15:43:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,735
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4841090
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shiptoomuch/pseuds/shiptoomuch
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jim and Leo meet in college, before anything has made Leo close himself off to the world. They break up, then meet years later.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Fresh Start

Jim falls in love on a November afternoon somewhere between the words “Are you lost?” and a smile from the stranger who said it. 

Jim fumbles his phone and stares into deep hazel eyes and tries not to reach out to touch those broad shoulders. “For once in my life, no. But I am trying to figure out where to eat that isn’t fried because I might be sick if I have to eat another spicy chicken sandwich.” He grimaces at the thought of his meals for the last two weeks.

He’s pretty sure the freshman fifteen happened in fifteen days. 

The stranger grins again, crinkling up at the corners of his eyes, and making Jim’s knees go absolutely weak. “I know that feeling. Looking for a little bit of Mama’s cookin’ right about now?”

The southern accent honestly isn’t fair to Jim. He shakes his head and rubs at the back of his neck. “Nah, my mom was a terrible cook. I do wish that I had a kitchen right about now, though.”

This earns him a clap on the shoulder. “I know that feeling, kid. Don’t worry, you’ll be out of the dorms soon enough.”

“I assume you live off campus?” Jim asks, hoping to keep this guy around for as long as possible. 

“I’m a junior, of course I live off campus.” He responds. “And my roommate just washed out, so I’m all alone.”

Jim nods along, unsure of what to say, and finally settles for sticking his hand out. “Jim Kirk.”

“Leonard McCoy.” A warm hand envelops Jim’s and sends shivers down his spine. “Come on, kid, let’s get you fed.”

Leonard, who Jim has decided to call Leo, drives them to a Chipotle about a half mile off campus. Jim thinks back to his bike on campus in grief. He hasn’t been able to give his legs a break in weeks, and riding in Leo’s car is a blessed respite. 

“I can’t believe you’ve never had Chipotle before.” Leo remarks with a shake of his head. “It’s like sacrilege.”

Jim frowns and takes a pointedly grumpy bite out of his burrito. “They don’t have many of your fancy city fast food joints in corn town, Iowa.” He defends.

Leo smiles and shakes his head. “Still, it’s ridiculous. I had to order for you.”

Jim flutters his eyelashes and smirks, “Maybe I just like to have my men order for me.” He knows that he’s taking a gamble on this flirtation with an obviously older guy.

It pays off, though, because Leo smirks right back. “I was hoping that was how it is.”

-

Leo is pre-med, which means he’s busy all the time. And he’s a junior, which doesn’t help the situation much. 

Still, it doesn’t really bother Jim all that much, since he’s an aerospace engineering student trying to finish early, his courseload isn’t that much easier. They see each other for lunch and study together whenever they can and for a while, Jim is convinced that it can’t get much better than this.

Leo is bright and hopeful and driven and brilliant and he takes Jim’s breath away with every smile. He laughs and grins like nothing has ever hurt him, and Jim hopes to god that nothing ever will, because he can’t imagine his life without him. 

The first time Leo fucks Jim, he comes out with scratch marks all down his back. Jim apologizes with a blush, but Leo just shakes his head and kisses him senseless until they fall asleep on hisbed which isn’t made for two people, but is certainly much larger than Jim’s. Jim drapes himself over Leo’s chest and holds tight, promises to never leave this one. 

It takes all of one time of Leo coming over during finals season and seeing how cramped Jim’s dorm is with five other roommates to insist that Jim move in with him next semester. It’s terrifyingly fast and probably a bad idea but every other bad idea that they’ve had together has worked out so far, so Jim just shrugs and starts packing.

(His mother asks how school is going at Christmas dinner and Jim just smiles and says he found a better place to live.)

-

“Don’t forget to take your lunch today.” 

“How do you manage to talk and shave at the same time without cutting yourself.” Jim watches his boyfriend incredulously, while Leo shaves his face in perfect strokes, same as always.

Leo raises an eyebrow at Jim, who has been to lazy to shave for the last few days and is now developing a fair amount of stubble. “Some of us are good at looking neat.” He rinses off his face and pats on some aftershave.

Jim marvels at the fact that he’s a sophomore in a serious relationship with a guy who uses aftershave. His mother would be so proud.

Once Leo is done with his usual facial routine, Jim grabs him and pulls him in. Leo puckers up for a kiss, but Jim turns his face quickly to rub his stubble against Leo’s smooth cheek. “So soft, baby.” He croons.

“Good god.” Leo shoves Jim away with a laugh. “You’re gunna give me stubble burn on my face.”

“You never complain when it’s on your thighs.” Jim teases with a wink.

“That’s because med school interviews don’t involve them looking at my thighs.”

Jim grins and pecks Leo on the lips for real this time. “Good luck. I’m having lunch with Jocelyn today, I’m sure she’s wishing you luck too.”

“Yeah, yeah.” Leo waves him off and shoves him toward the door. “Now go to class.”

-

The night that Leo gets his acceptance to Ole Miss medical school is one of the best of Jim’s life. Being able to go to med school here to them means they’ll be able to stay together and not be across the country from each other.

The day after, when Jim gets his letter of acceptance to transfer to Berkeley, is one of the worst. “Hey, there’s still a chance that you got into UCSF.” Jim suggests with a tight smile. “We don’t have to be apart.”

He can tell that Leo wants him to stay in Mississippi. They both know he won’t even consider it. Berkeley is too big of an opportunity. The fact that both of them want to get married but neither of them are saying anything isn’t enough to make him stay.

“We can try to make it work.” Leo says after a long silence. “I love you, Jim.”

Jim smiles and kisses Leo deeply. “I love you too. So much.”

“So we’ll make it work?”

“Yeah. We’ll make it work.”

-

It only takes four months for it to Not Work. Four months of letters and video chats and plans to visit each other that keep getting pushed back before Leo finally throws in the towel.

It destroys Jim but at the same time, he’s relieved. He’s been too busy to worry about maintaining something that’s becoming more work than it’s worth. 

They stay friends, but that lasts even less time than ‘making it work’ did.

Leonard McCoy is off his contacts list before Jim’s first year at Berkeley ends.

-

Peter Kirk is born six months to the day after Ruth breaks their engagement. It’s the final step for Jim in moving on to hold that baby and think that maybe there is life after a blonde who effectively ripped his heart out.

Eventually, though, all the newborn family joy is just a little bit too much for Jim. He bows out at around ten and winds up at his old favorite Riverside bar in his old favorite leather jacket and thinks for a second that 29 is too old to be doing this.

That is, until he sees broad shoulders and tousled brown hair sitting at the counter. The guy is clearly the definition of Jim’s type, looks just like one of the fifty guys he dated in grad school, before he met Ruth and she tore his life apart. 

Tonight, though, Jim is ready to move on. He considers it fate that a guy who is totally his type is sitting at the bar alone.

Jim sidles up beside him with a grin. “Hi, I’m Jim Kirk and you’re not from around here.”

The guy raises an eyebrow and gives Jim a chance to take in all that glorious scruff. He looks tired and grumpy and like he can’t believe that this is happening to him, but he goes along with it. “You’re not either.” He drawls out in a gruff voice that sends shivers down Jim’s spine. 

Jim gapes at the stranger. “How do you know that.”

“The name’s McCoy. Leonard McCoy.” 

As soon as he says his name, Jim isn’t sure how he could possibly not have recognized his first love. At the same time, he knows exactly how he did that, since Leo no longer looks hopeful and happy and ready for life. Now, he just looks tired and like he’s been waking up on the wrong side of the bed for the last decade. “Holy shit.”

“I can’t believe you didn’t recognize me.” Leo says with a laugh that is nothing like his carefree chuckle in college. “You still look exactly the same.”

“I actually found a gray hair this morning.” Jim laughs and runs a hand through his hair. “I don’t want to be rude, but you look like shit. What happened, Leo?”

“I married Jocelyn.” Leo starts and Jim’s jaw drops open immediately. “Yeah, I know. And it was great but she ended up cheating on me with Clay Treadway. And now I haven’t seen my daughter in a year. All I got left is my bones.” 

It’s a lot to process for Jim in such a short amount of time. His first thought after the initial shock is that none of this should have happened. Jim shouldn’t have left, and maybe Bones wouldn’t look quite so much like he wants to block the world out. Jim wonders at what point Leo stopped being _Leo._

“You know what, Bones? I think it’s time for a fresh start.” Jim claps him on the shoulder. “Here, let me get you a drink.”

“Bones?” A raised eyebrow that looks so much like when Jim was nineteen and stupid.

Jim smiles and nods. “New start, new name.”


End file.
